1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a transport and storage vehicle for a post auger and more specifically for a post auger adapted for mounting on a three-point hitch of a tractor.
2. Prior Art Statement
Currently, the operator of a tractor having a post auger affixed to a three-point hitch thereof can only remove the post auger from the hitch with great difficulty. First, the point of the auger shaft is lowered to the ground to support the auger on the ground. When the point of the auger shaft is placed on the ground, the tension in the central lift arm may be removed by deftly raising and lowering the three-point hitch until the pin becomes loose on the central lift arm wherein the pin may be removed therefrom. In order to safely remove the pin from the central lift arm and disengage the central lift arm from the boom of the post auger, the operator must turn off the engine, climb down from the tractor seat, remove the pin and move the central lift arm laterally from the boom. Then the operator must re-mount the tractor seat, start the engine and back the tractor thereby folding the auger shaft underneath the yoke until the auger shaft lies upon the ground. Folding the auger beneath the yoke puts a strain upon the coupling sleeve of the power take off drive shaft oftentimes resulting in splitting the coupling sleeve. Again, the operator must deftly raise and lower the three-point hitch until the pins joining the trailing arms to the yoke become loose on the trailing arms so that the pins may be removed therefrom. The operator must then again switch off the engine, exit the tractor seat and remove the trailing arms from the post auger and disengage the power take off shaft. Generally, the post auger is left outside lying upon the ground as it is difficult to properly maneuver the tractor with the post auger mounted thereon into a building and place the post auger on the floor of the building. Furthermore, as will become readily apparent, remounting the post auger to the tractor inside a building is also nearly impossible as the auger will merely slide along the floor when attempting to raise the auger shaft to a vertical position for attaching the central lift arm or third link to the boom.
Reinstalling the post auger to the three-point hitch is equally difficult. First, the operator of the tractor must back the tractor to the position where the post auger was last unattached, align at least one trailing arm within about two inches of one side of the yoke and most preferably precisely align both arms with both side pins on the yoke. Maneuvering the tractor with such precision to the location of the post auger usually requires several back and forth moves with the tractor consuming considerable time. The trailing arms must then be lowered to positions close to the yoke pins which may also require leaving the tractor engine operating in order to raise and lower the trailing arms for more precise alignment with the pins resulting in unsafe tractor operating practices. Once the pins are closely aligned with trailing arms, the operator must turn off the engine and exit the tractor, move each trailing arm laterally to engage the pin on the yoke on that side and thereafter move to the other side of the post auger and place the second trailing arm on the respective pin on the yoke. The third point of the hitch is not yet connected to the boom which requires the operator to mount the tractor seat, restart the engine, engage the tractor in forward motion and drag the auger shaft along the ground until the point of the auger digs into the ground raising the post auger to an upright position with the auger shaft substantially vertical. This operation raises the boom hitch point toward the third point of the hitch however, great skill is required to exactly align the hitch point on the boom with the third arm. Usually, the operator exits the tractor seat and rocks the post auger or tractor forward or backward in order to align the holes and place the pin through both the boom and the third arm, this practice again resulting in unsafe tractor operating procedures. Once the post auger is finally affixed to the three-point hitch, the operator must again mount the tractor seat, start the tractor engine if it were turned off when the operator last dismounted and raise the post auger from the ground before moving to a location for drilling. The inaccuracies in alignment using the tractor for aligning often results in pinched fingers, strained muscles or severe injury when attaching the post auger to the tractor.
It is known to provide a portable stand to rollingly support an internal combustion engine for testing. The stand has adjustable supports slidably mounted on the central rail on which the engine is mounted. The entire stand may be moved from one location to another with the engine mounted thereon. There is nothing to suggest that the stand may be used to remove an engine from an automobile or reinstall the same. For instance, see the U.S. Pat. No. 4,848,717 issued on Jul. 18, 1989 to Fred Bevill.
Orlando Pacheco, in his U.S. Pat. No. 4,932,628 issued on Jun. 12, 1990 claims an engine test stand having individual telescopic mounting supports slidable along transverse cross members wherein the cross members may also be moved longitudinally on the edge rails of a rectangular base. As with Bevill, there is no teaching that the test stand could be used to remove an engine from an automobile or reinstall the same.
It is further known to provide a support stand for a snow plow wherein the snow plow stand is generally rectangular and fixed to a base. The stand has a blade stop at the end of the side members and an elevated arm support at the rear end of the stand for supporting the mounting arms of the snow plow. The plow is lifted over the elevated arm, placed against the blade stop and lowered onto the elevated arm. The plow is then disconnected from the plowing vehicle. For instance, see U.S. Pat. No. 5,014,961 issued on May 14, 1991 to William Ferguson. Such a stand cannot be used for a post auger as the elevated arm is fixed and the point of a post auger cannot be lifted over the elevated arm.
Eddie Sodolak, in his U.S. Pat. No. 5,586,743 issued on Dec. 24, 1996 claims a post auger support stand which receives the head of the auger in an U-shaped slot in a support plate mounted above a rectangular base. The trailing arms of the three-point hitch are then lifted by a cross arm mounted at the front of the frame. The cross arm is raised and lowered with hand cranks at the ends of right and left jacking screws. It is clear that the cross arm must be removed prior to placing the auger on the stand and re-placed on the stand in order to provide for lifting of the trailing arms as the auger point may only be raised about 8 inches above the ground. Sodolak provides a stand for an auger but has no teaching of movement of the stand either with or without the post auger mounted thereon, nor does Sodolak provide any means to adjust for different sized augers.
Finally, it is known to provide an auger stand having telescoping yoke support arms, a series of slots for receiving the point of the auger and a drive line pin for receiving the PTO shaft. The base is an elongated central rail with a front and rear cross member. The front cross member has the telescoping yoke support arms mounted on the ends thereof For instance, see the U.S. Pat. No. 5,678,801 issued on Oct. 21, 1997 to William Billingsley. Billingsley states that the stand is light weight and may be moved, however, the stand cannot be moved once the post auger is placed thereon as it is believed that the mass of the stand is generally more than an average operator can move and the additional mass of the auger makes movement impossible.
It is clear from the description of the prior art and practice that convenient method of aligning and attaching a post auger to a three-point hitch is needed. Furthermore, the need for a convenient, reliable and safe method of adjusting a post auger stand is suggested from a reading of the prior art.
It is therefore a feature of this invention to provide a post auger storage stand for receiving a post hole digger thereon comprising a transverse base, a longitudinal arm affixed to the transverse base, a moveable yoke support comprising a cross member and upright supports at the opposed ends of the cross member for receiving the yoke of the post auger thereon. The cross member is affixed to a slidable sleeve movable along a longitudinal arm.
Yet another feature of this invention is to provide a post auger stand having a movable yoke support to further have telescoping members adjustable within upright supports, the telescoping members and the movable yoke support comprising a means for adjusting, the telescoping members adapted to adjust the height of the upright supports to establish an initial height for receiving the yoke of the post auger thereon.
Yet another feature of this invention is to provide a post auger stand having a movable yoke support to further have telescoping members adjustable within upright supports wherein each telescoping member has a yoke receiving support saddle on one end thereof.
Still another feature of this invention is to provide a post auger stand having a movable yoke support to further have telescoping members adjustable within upright supports, the telescoping members and the movable yoke support comprising a means for adjusting, wherein the movable sleeve of the means for adjusting is adjustable along the longitudinal arm and adapted to readily adjust the length of the post auger stand to receive different length post augers on the post auger storage stand.
Additionally, a feature of this invention to provide a post auger storage stand for receiving a post hole digger thereon comprising a transverse base, a longitudinal arm affixed to the transverse base wherein the transverse base has surface engaging members affixed thereto to facilitate moving the post auger stand and wherein the longitudinal arm has a steerable axle pivotally mounted adjacent the free end thereof allowing the post auger stand to be readily moved into position under a raised post auger mounted on a tractor and aligned for receiving the post auger on the post auger stand.
In light of the prior art, it is a significant object of this invention to provide a post auger storage stand comprising a transverse base, a longitudinal arm, movable yoke support the movable yoke support further having a pair of adjustable vertical column members for receiving a yoke of a post auger wherein the transverse cross member is affixed to a slidable sleeve, the sleeve movable along the longitudinal arm to adjust for different sized post augers. The post auger stand may also have surface engaging members affixed to the transverse base and on a steerable axle pivotally mounted in the longitudinal arm thus constituting a post auger transport vehicle wherein the post auger stand may be readily moved into position under a raised post auger mounted on a tractor and aligned for receiving the post auger on the post auger stand.
It is another significant object of this invention to provide a post hole auger stand comprising means for receiving the terminal end of an auger of a post hole digger, means for receiving the mounting arms of a yoke of the post hole digger and means for moving the auger stand into position to receive the post hole auger thereon.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide a transport vehicle for receiving a post hole digger thereon wherein the transport vehicle is moved to the tractor holding the post hole digger thereon.
Still another object of this invention is to provide a transport vehicle for receiving a post hole digger thereon wherein the transport vehicle has a means for steering the transport vehicle into position beneath the post hole digger mounted on a tractor.
Additionally, it is an object of this invention is to provide a transport vehicle for a post hole digger having the post hole digger mounted thereon wherein the transport vehicle has a means for steering the transport vehicle into position behind a tractor for affixing the post hole digger to the three-point hitch of the tractor.
Still further it is an object of this invention is to provide a post hole auger transport vehicle comprising means for receiving the terminal end of an auger of a post hole digger and the mounting arms of a yoke of the post hole digger and means for moving the auger transport vehicle into position to receive the post hole auger thereon wherein the means for moving the transport vehicle comprises at least one surface engaging rotatable member for permitting movement of the post hole auger stand to the tractor holding the post hole digger thereon.
Finally, it is an object of this invention to provide a post auger storage stand for receiving a post hole digger thereon, the post auger storage stand comprising a transverse base, a longitudinal arm affixed to the transverse base, a moveable yoke support comprising a cross member and upright supports at the opposed ends of the cross member for receiving the yoke of the post auger thereon, the cross member affixed to a slidable sleeve movable along the longitudinal arm wherein the transverse base has a pair of sockets disposed thereon for receiving upright columns of a post auger head support plate therein.